Final report on summer mosquito trap project

Residents of San Juan County faced little danger of contracting the dreaded Zika Virus over the summer, according to results of a mosquito trapping project conducted by the UNHS Public Health Department.

UNHS Public Health Director, Shawn Begay, reported that eight mosquito traps, placed in various locations around San Juan County, captured over 1,000 mosquitoes during the month of July. None tested positive for the Zika virus. Initially, traps were placed in the Montezuma Creek/Aneth area, as well as in Monticello and Blanding. The traps in Monticello and Blanding failed to attract any mosquitoes, so they were moved to the Montezuma Creek and Bluff areas, near the San Juan River. One trap near Bluff captured 900 mosquitoes in a 24-hour period near the river. All captured mosquitoes were sent to Salt Lake City for examination by the Utah State Department of Health. None of these mosquitoes tested positive for the Zika virus.

“We had no success in Monticello and Blanding so we concentrated our efforts at the river,” Begay said. “We requested our grant be extended through August, but it had to end at the end of July.”

Begay said mosquitoes were also tested for West Nile virus, but none were found to contain West Nile either.

Medically Speaking is a community newsletter published monthly by Blue Mountain Hospital and Utah Navajo Health System (UNHS). The mission is to engage the community with news from both organizations, and to make the community aware of events, services, and other items of interest.